Online Threat Alerts (OTA) - Alerting you to scams and frauds.

Halloween Costume Scams - Know How to Protect Yourself
Halloween Costume Scams - Know How to Protect Yourself

With just a few days away from one of the most celebrated holidays, Halloween, shoppers are urged to be careful of cyber-criminals when shopping for holiday deals. Victims of these online scams are normally individuals in search for a costume to wear to a party or to go trick-or-treating.

Holiday online scammers trick persons by presenting fake pop-up retail stores and shopping online websites while browsing. The URL on these pop-up sites will then direct you to a scam site that asks for your personal information along with your email address.

Customers who purchase from these online stores are promised by the scammers that their costumes will be delivered overnight upon purchase. After making payments online there is a high percentage chance that your package will not be delivered to you and if it is, it is not what you paid for and is of poor quality.

If you try to obtain refunds from these online stores or try returning the items because of your dissatisfaction it will be impossible to do so.

Helpful shopping tips:

  • You can log on to Better Business Bureau’s website at www.bbb.org and check the legitimacy of the website you wish to purchase your costumes from.
  • Be on the alert when providing your credit card and other personal identifying information online. Verify that the web address begins with “https://", an indication that the website is secure. If the web address doesn’t begin with “https” do not purchase from the site.
  • Be knowledgeable about the company’s refund and return policies before you finalize your purchase. If online companies fail to provide you with information on how they will handle any possible problems you may have with their products or services, you should not carry on with the purchase.
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